Large‐Scale, Abrasion‐Resistant, and Solvent‐Free Superhydrophobic Objects Fabricated by a Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printing Strategy. Issue 9 (20th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Zhenhua; Shi, Congcan; Chen, Aotian; Li, Yike; Chen, Shuang; Sun, Dong; Wang, Changshun; Liu, Zhufeng; Wang, Qi; Huang, Jianyu; Yue, Yamei; Zhang, Shanfei; Liu, Zichuan; Xu, Yizhuo; Su, Jin; Zhou, Yan; Wen, Shifeng; Yan, Chunze; Shi, Yusheng; Deng, Xu; Jiang, Lei; Su, Bin
• Is Part Of: Advanced science. Volume 10:Issue 9(2023)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2023-01-20
• Subjects: 3D printing -- abrasion‐resistant -- large‐scale -- selective laser sintering -- superhydrophobic; Science -- Periodicals; 505
• DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207183
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2198-3844

Abstract

Abstract: Manufacturing abrasion‐resistant superhydrophobic matters is challenging due to the fragile feature of the introduced micro‐/nanoscale surface roughness. Besides the long‐term durability, large scale at meter level, and 3D complex structures are of great importance for the superhydrophobic objects used across diverse industries. Here it is shown that abrasion‐resistant, half‐a‐meter scaled superhydrophobic objects can be one‐step realized by the selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology using hydrophobic‐fumed‐silica (HFS)/polymer composite grains. The HFS grains serve as the hydrophobic guests while the sintered polymeric network provides the mechanical strength, leading to low‐adhesion, intrinsic superhydrophobic objects with desired 3D structures. It is found that as‐printed structures remained anti‐wetting capabilities even after undergoing different abrasion tests, including knife cutting test, rude file grinding test, 1000 cycles of sandpaper friction test, tape test and quicksand impacting test, illustrating their abrasion‐resistant superhydrophobic stability. This strategy is applied to manufacture a shell of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an abrasion‐resistant superhydrophobic shoe, showing the industrial customization of large‐scale superhydrophobic objects. The findings thus provide insight for designing intrinsic superhydrophobic objects via the SLS 3D printing strategy that might find use in drag‐reduce, anti‐fouling, or other industrial fields in harsh operating environments. Abstract : The abrasion‐resistant, half‐a‐meter scaled superhydrophobic objects can be one‐step realized by layer‐by‐layer accumulation of superhydrophobic thin‐films through selective laser sintering 3D printing technology. The intrinsic superhydrophobicity of the as‐prepared large‐scale objects not only makes them tolerant to mechanical abrasion, but also opens opportunities for large‐scale applications, such as the shell of aerial vehicle and the abrasion‐resistant superhydrophobic shoes.